A liquid crystal display apparatus having a transmitting display function includes a transmitting liquid crystal display panel and a backlight unit for illuminating the liquid crystal display panel from the backside. The liquid crystal display panel has a structure in which a liquid crystal layer is held between a pair of substrates, and has an active area for displaying an image, and a light-shielding area surrounding the active area.
Each pixel forming the active area includes a pixel electrode. A counter-electrode opposing the pixel electrode extends not only to the active area but also to the outside of the active area (i.e., to the light-shielding area), by taking account of bonding misalignment of the substrates.
When a voltage is applied to the liquid crystal layer in the liquid crystal display apparatus having the structure as described above, a longitudinal electric field is formed between the pixel electrode and counter-electrode of each pixel almost along the normal direction of the liquid crystal display panel. In this state, each pixel formed in the end portion of the active area is affected by an oblique electric field formed in addition to the longitudinal electric field. That is, an oblique electric field inclined to the normal of the liquid crystal display panel is formed between the counter-electrode extending to the light-shielding area and the pixel electrode formed in the active area end portion.
Also, when a light-shielding conductor is formed to oppose a light-shielding layer in the light-shielding area, an oblique electric field inclined to the normal of the liquid crystal display panel is formed between the light-shielding conductor and the pixel electrode formed in the active area end portion.
In the pixel in the active area end portion, the interaction between the oblique electric field as described above and the longitudinal electric field may form a defective alignment region of liquid crystal molecules contained in the liquid crystal layer. When this defective alignment region is formed in the transmitting liquid crystal display panel, light from the backlight passes through the liquid crystal layer regardless of the voltage applied to the liquid crystal layer, i.e., so-called light penetration occurs, and this deteriorates the display quality.